Local industrialist from Punjab shot dead outside his mill by an unidentified man Jaito town of Faridkot district

Local industrialist from Punjab shot dead outside his mill by an unidentified man Jaito town of Faridkot district

FARIDKOT, PUNJAB,July31: In a brazen display of the power of the gun, a man was allegedly murdered in broad daylight in Punjab’s Faridkot. A local industrialist, Ravindra Pappu Kochar, was yesterday shot dead outside his mill by an unidentified man who is said to be a member of a local gang in Jaito town of Faridkot district, police said.

The incident was caught on the CCTV camera of the mill around 3 pm. In the video, as soon as Mr Kochar parks his car outside the main gate of his mill, a white Swift Dzire which was following him pulls over. Then a man comes out of the vehicle and charges towards Mr Kochar. He fires four successive shots through the window of the driver’s seat. He fires the fifth time, after a pause, to ensure that his victim is dead.

Cops say Mr Kochar, who died on the spot, sustained bullet injuries on his head and neck.

SSP Faridkot Nanak Singh said, “According to the CCTV footage, there were two persons in the attackers’ car. While one of them remained on the driver’s seat, the other one came out to shoot. We have identified the vehicle and a search is on.”

Even as the CCTV footage shows the shooter, Mr Singh refused to comment on the identity of the culprits. An FIR has been registered under IPC Section 302 (punishment for murder) against an unidentified person.

The police are investigating the case, he said.

In February this year, three gangsters had allegedly fired gunshots in the air outside the mill and fled with Mr Kochar’s car, police said. Mr Kochar had reportedly refused to pay extortion money to the gang. As Mr Kochar feared for his life, the police had filed a suo moto complaint and the trio were arrested. The car was recovered after a week from Moga.

Police sources now suggest that the same gang might have attacked again.

Mr Kochar’s family has hit out at the police saying adequate security wasn’t provided to him despite repeated threats to his life. “After the February incident why wasn’t my brother given police protection? We fear for our lives after what has happened to him,” said Narendar Singh Kochar, brother of the deceased.